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Brad Penny, Jason Motte, and Ryan Franklin combined on a nine-hit shutout, Albert Pujols hit his team-leading seventh home run, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Giants, 2-0, yesterday in San Francisco to avoid a series sweep.

Penny (3-0) gave up eight hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out two with no walks while outpitching former teammate Matt Cain. The Cardinals’ righthander, who pitched for the Red Sox and Giants in 2009, didn’t allow a runner past second base while lowering his ERA to 0.94.

Pujols hit a hanging slider from Cain (0-1) into the left-field stands in the first inning. The Cardinals’ slugger later lined a single past Cain in the third, then drilled another line drive over the pitcher’s head in the fifth. He is 8 for 12 lifetime against Cain.

Angels 8, Yankees 4 — Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales homered, Brandon Wood drove in the go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded double, and host Los Angeles handed New York its first series loss of the season.

Scott Kazmir (2-1) gave up two home runs — including his third to Robinson Cano this season — but got the win after allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Javier Vazquez (1-3) threw 78 pitches in just 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, five hits, and three walks. New York had won its first five series, including a three-game set against the Angels in the Bronx, to tie the 1926 Yankees for the most consecutive series won by the franchise at the start of a season.

Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Gonzalez has connected in each of San Diego’s last four games and has six homers in his last seven games at Great American Ball Park, dating to last season.

Several thousand people attended the pregame ballpark services for McGregor, 48, who passed away unexpectedly last week. McGregor’s wife, Lori, and their children Jordan, Taylor, Landri, and Logan later threw out ceremonial first pitches.

Mets 1, Braves 0 — Mike Pelfrey (4-0) pitched out of constant trouble to extend his scoreless streak to 24 innings and an error by Chipper Jones allowed the only run to score as host New York finished a three-game sweep of Atlanta in a game called in the sixth inning because of rain.

Nationals 1, Dodgers 0 — Scott Olsen pitched seven shutout innings for his first victory since having shoulder surgery in July and Matt Capps worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to preserve host Washington’s win over Los Angeles.

Cubs 12, Brewers 2 — Derrek Lee hit a 445-foot home run, Ryan Theriot had five hits, and Chicago smacked four homers to complete a three-game sweep in Milwaukee.

Astros 10, Pirates 3 — Lance Berkman hit his first home run, Carlos Lee and Pedro Feliz drove in two runs apiece, and host Houston completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh to win for the eighth time in 10 games after opening the season 0-8.

Athletics 11, Indians 0 — Eric Chavez hit a two-run double and also singled in a run to help Gio Gonzalez win for the first time in three starts, and host Oakland pounded Justin Masterson and Cleveland.

Diamondbacks 8, Phillies 6 — Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning and finished with three hits, including a three-run homer, and four RBIs, helping host Arizona beat Philadelphia.